Tamed By the Alien Pirate by Celia Kyle Page 0,8
I clear my throat and turn around, turning my entire focus to the gear strewn across the workbench. I feel my cheeks reddening, and take a deep breath to steady myself. Was Zander really about to kiss me?
No, he was about to give you a lecture on beam particles, you idiot, my inner voice chirps. He was leaning in with his eyes closed… what do you think that means? Sighing, I make my peace with it. Of course he was going to kiss me—and he would have done it, if it hadn’t been for Kintar’s surprise appearance.
Thing is, I don’t really know how to feel about this interruption. I am disappointed, or am I relieved? Sure, there’s no denying I’m attracted to the brainy Kilgari, never mind his autistic obsession with beam weapons, but doesn’t that mean I’m allowing my hormones to dictate my actions? What happened to clear, logical thought?
Besides, despite how attracted I might feel, going off and kissing him right away could make him think I’m that kind of girl—one who doesn’t think things through, acts in the moment, and allows her hormones to dictate what she does with her body. Well, one thing I know for sure is that I’m not that kind of girl.
“You heard what I just said?” Kintar insists, clearly surprised with the fact neither Zander or I have offered a reply. “I’m volunteering to accompany you. Someone needs to be around to protect your overly developed brains.”
Smiling, I turn to see him leaning against the doorway, his meaty arms folded over his chest. His two horns curve up, reaching for the upper part of the doorway, but one of them has been sawed off a couple of fingers from the base. It gives him an unbalanced look but, despite the fact that he’s not my type, it doesn’t make him any less handsome.
“Thank you, Kintar, I—”
“Who said we needed help?” Zander cuts me short, taking one step toward Kintar. Trying to be casual about it, he folds his arms over his chest, much like the Kilgari opposite him, and gives him a questioning glance. “Solair didn’t see the need for teams with three elements.”
“Just thought I could help,” Kintar says, his tone still even. He has the hint of a smile, and I can tell he’s enjoying the exchange. He’s going to rile Zander up just for kicks. “I mean, you spend most of your time with your head glued to the science monitors or tinkering with these beam weapons of yours. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have someone who keeps up with his conditioning or, you know, someone who does actual weapon training.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tightening his lips, Zander doesn’t even bother hiding how annoyed he is. Kintar’s getting under his skin, and he’s allowing it to happen. “I’ll let you know that, with the way I’ve designed my weapons, they require minimal training. Besides, I can handle myself better than most guys in the crew. I’m sure you’re aware of that.”
“Of course,” Kintar says, but he’s clearly amused with it all. “New beam weapons, huh? Have you tried them in the field?”
“Well, uhmm, not yet.” Hesitating, Zander exhales sharply. Then, he straightens his back and rounds his shoulders, almost as if trying to become larger than he already is. “They’ll work, though.” Still in his pose, he takes one more step toward Kintar and slaps the other Kilgari’s arm in a half playful, half passive-aggressive way. “I appreciate the offer, but Thrase and I can handle ourselves. Your assistance won’t be required.”
“Right.” Looking over Zander’s shoulder, Kintar shoots me a glance and smiles. There’s a glint there that tells me he knows more than he’s letting on. For a moment, I wonder if he realized we were about to kiss when he stepped in. That thought alone is enough for my cheeks to start warming up once more, boiling blood rushing to my face. Even though I’m not ashamed of my own sexuality, I don’t want to end up like Lamira and Grantian, acting things out for everyone to see.
Finally, Kintar looks away from me and returns his attention to Zander.
“I know you have to prepare for it,” he continues, “so I’ll leave you to it, then.”
His mocking tone has disappeared, and he sounds genuine. Whatever amusement he was getting from messing with Zander has been dismissed, and Kintar’s back to his regular self. Maybe he has realized Zander isn’t in the mood for verbal sparring.
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